Foreign Relations of the United States Diplomatic Papers,
1940, The British Commonwealth, The Soviet Union, The Near East and Africa,
Volume III

740.0011 European War 1939/285527/28: Telegram

The Chargé in Italy (Reed) to the Secretary of State

Rome, August
1, 1940—11 a.m.[Received August 1—10:50 a.m.]

777. I am reliably informed that important officials of the German
Embassy here have declared on several occasions that Roosevelt’s
defeat is of vital importance to Germany; that the German Government
has authentic information of an undertaking by the President to
bring the United States into the war after the elections and that
Germany will therefore spare neither money nor effort to prevent his
reelection.